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No. 309,301. Patented Dec. 16, 1884.

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CIRCULAR WEFT THREAD KNITTING MACHINE.

No. 309,301. 6)? Patented Dec. 16, 1884.

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4 eeee tseeeee 4. FAYETTE HARDENBERGH. CIRCULAR WEFT THREAD KNITTINGMACHINE.

Patented Dec. 16, 1884.

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1111 N vy-Ma C7 y" 8% FAYETTE HARDENBERGH, or rno'vmnnon, nnonn ISLAND.

CIRCULAR WEFT-THREAD KNITTING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 309,301, dated December16, 1884.

Application filed August .20, 1883.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FAYETTE HARDEN- BERGH, of Providence, in thecounty-of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented a new anduseful Improvement in (lircular WVeft-Thread Knitting Machines; and I dohereby declare that the following is a full and exact description of thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to theletters of reference marked thereon.

Theinventionhereinafter describedembraces improvements upon the circularweft-thread knitting machine for knitting cloth for which an applicationfor Letters Patent, Serial No. 82,234, was filed by me January 18, 1883,such improvements being intended to render the construction more simpleand more durable, and insure more rapid, effective, and perfect work, and the novelty in such particulars being hereinafter more particularlypointed out and claimed.

For the better comprehension of my invention reference should be had tothe acconr panying drawings, in which Figure l is an elevation of mymachine; Fig. 2, a top plan view of the same; Fig. 3, a vertical centralsection of, the upper part of the same, showing the knitting mechanism;Fig. 4, a detail View of the stop-motion device; Fig. 5, a detail Viewof a portion of the needle-cylinder and of the thread-tube guides; andFig. 6, a similar view of the needle-cylinder, embracing a presserwheel,the tubular thread-guides, the tension devices, and a portion of thestop motion mechanism.

Like letters denote corresponding parts in each figure.

A denotes the circular base of the machine, upon which are placedsupports B B, upon which again is mounted the ring 0, which supports thespools, and above this the rings 0 O,which support the needle-operatingportion of the machine.

(No model.)

supported in a suitable way the ring E, upon the upper side of which aresecured slotted standards a a, preferably three in number.

Screw-bolts b pass through slots b in said standard into asupport-piece, F,which is secured at its top to a ring, L, above thecamslot K, and to another ring, J, at its bottom below the camslot, andafford means by which the vertical relation of the outside of thecylinder toward the needles may be adjusted.

' The knitting mechanism is supported by and connected with aneedle-cylinder comwhich rests upon the top of the gear-Wheel G.

Above this ring E is another ring, H, which may be single or made in twoparts, upon the outside of which is placed or formed an annular rack, 0,upon which the stop-motion, hereinafter described, operates, and thisring H is secured,preferably with a key, 0, to the shell G, and turnswith it. Above this ring H, and upon the outside of the shell G, isplaced another tubular shell,I, preferably of brass,which extends up tothe top of the cylinder, with a flange, d, cxtendinginwardly and restingupon the top of the shell G, by means of which suitable screw-fasteningspassing down through said flange secure the shell I to the shell G, sothat both turn together. Into suitable grooves, c, on the outside ofthis shell I ribs 0 are securely inserted, which form the side guides tothe needle-jacks, hereinafter mentioned, and the alternate spacesbetween these guides or ribs 6 are recessed gradually toward the top, sothat the alternate needle-jacks in a machine of about nine inchesinternal diameter of the ring or circle of needles will incline aboutone sixty-fourth of an inch toward the center of the cylinder. A ring,J, with a thin inner upward flange, J, forms the outside to the lowerpart of the needle-jack recesses, and the upper edge of said flange Jconstitutesthe lower edge of the cam-slot K,which determines thevertical movement of the needle-jacks.

' 5 other portion of the outside of the needle-jack recesses, and thelower edge of the flange L constitutes the upper edge of the cam-slot K.

This ring L is secured to the top of the support F, which thusties therings J and L to- 10 gether, and has an upward flange, L. The 'flanges Jand L may be separate pieces or rings inside of the rings J and L, andsecured to them.

Above the ring L is placed another ring, M, with a part recessed to fitclosely and firmly over the flange L, and this ringMis of greaterdiameter than the rings J and L, and extends to the outside of thesupport F, upon the top of which it rests. The rings M and L may be madeconveniently in one piece; The ring M forms the remainder of the outsideof the needle-jack recesses,and has cut into its periphery a rectangulargroove, f, with an enlarged inner end, f, for the purpose of receivingand holding a block, N, with an enlarged head, 9, which fits into theenlarged end f. In this groove is a larger opening, f, for the purposeof inserting or withdrawing the blocks As before explained, the rings J,L, and M and the flanges J, L, and L constitute the outer wall of theneedle-jack recesses or chambers, of which the ribs care the sidewalls,and the outside of the shellI forms the inner wall. Of theserecesses or chambers, one half, 0 0, have a vertical inner wall orbottom parallel with the axis of the cylinder. The other half, 0 0, havean inner wall or bottom inclined inwardly at an angle to said axis, asbefore explained. In these recesses the needle-jacks P 1? have areciprocal movement effected by the cam-slot K upon the toes h h of theneedlejacks. The needlejacks carry well-known needles, 1' 2', thosemarkedt' being vertical, and those marked t" being inclined.

To the blocks N are attached the slotted arms Q, adjustable verticallyby screws upon the outer ends of said blocks. Said arms at their upperends have a horizontal extension, j, upon which is attached a slottedhorizontal arm, Q, which, by means of a set-screw passing through itsslot, has horizontal adjustment upon said extension j, and this arm Qcarries a revolving presser-wheel, Q, having radial fingers arranged atsuch distances as to permit the passage of the needles up between them,said presser-wheels Qbeing within the circles of needles, with the outerfingers extending outwardly over them. These wheels revolve with thecylinder, and serve to keep down the weft or filling thread as theneedles rise to catch the warp, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 6..

Vithin the groove ff of the ring Mare placed other blocks, N, similar tothe blocks N, to which, by means of set-screws, as shown, are securedguide-rods R, carrying tubular guides R, and arranged about the cylindersocket, S, conveniently secured to one of the rings 0 or E, beforementioned, or in any convenient place, in the same. way as explained inregard to the arm Q, in which is placed, so as to be adjustedvertically, a body,

S, within a slot in which is pivoted a lever, T, having a weight, Z, onits outer arm, m, just suificiently heavy to tilt up the other or innerarm, it, within the limit of the slot. Upon this inner arm is placed aplate, 0. From the top of the body S rises a standard, U, curvedinwardly from the body, and then rising in a vertical line, and havingsecured to it guidepieces p p and at its top a cross-bar, q, withthread-holes. Tires 1" r, having eyes 1" r on their upper ends, and toesr"r at their lower ends, have capacity for vertical movement within theguide-pieces p 1). Threads pass through the eyes r rbf the wires andthrough the holes of the cross-bar g, which threads hold the wires inposition and above the plate 0. In case a thread breaks, the wire whichit holds up falls with its toe upon the plate 0, and depresses the arm Nso that its inner end engages with the rack c, and stops the revolutionof the same, and consequently that of the knitting-cylinder. The threadspass up from the spools through and around suitable tension devices, 8s, secured to ring 0. These devices consist each, preferably, of astraight piece of wire bent near its lower end to form a loop or eye,through which the thread passes, and is then wound around the straightportion once, twice, or more times, as may be found necessary to givethe proper tension to the thread. From these devices the threads passupward through the eyes 1- of drop-wires a", and thence through theguide-tubes to the needles, as clearly shown in Fig. 6.

By arranging the needles alternately a little inclined inwardlyfilling-wheels and simi lar contrivances are dispensed with, and thethread is directly, regularly, and certainlyinserted between theneedles, and no stitches can be dropped, for there is nothing to catchor jam the threads, and the work is not only uniform, but, inconsequence of the regularity and certainty of delivery and direction ofthe threads, a more rapid movement cap be given to the needle-cylinder,and consequently more work can be done.

By having the inner walls of the needle-jack chambers regularlyinclin'edalternately the needlejack may be made of uniform sizethroughout and strong in its upper portion, and the needles directly andfirmly inserted therein in line with the needle-jack, and theinconveniences and trouble connected with IIO bent needles or needlesbending or swinging in their work are avoided. l

By the ,construction and arrangement of the groove in the ring M thethread-guides and the presser-wheel supports can be readily adjusted invarious directions or removed and replaced.

By the construction and arrangement of the several parts of theneedle-cylinder the same can be most readily taken apart and puttogether, and various desirable adjustments can be made.

By the construction of the stop-motion a delicate and certain action isassured under all circumstances.

I am aware that prior to my invention knitting-machine needles had beendescribed in patents which were bent at different angles in twoconcentric series, to permit a thread or yarn to be laid between them;and I die claim any such invention, as such needles were liable to bebroken, and required such care in using them, and such low speed in therevolution of the cylinder, that the machine to which they wereconnected was practically of little or no value.

I am also aware that prior to my invention needle-cylinders havingrecesses had been described in patents. By the reciprocation in suchrecesses of the needle jacks the needles as' sumed two concentricseries, to permit a thread or yarn to be laid between them; but in suchpatents the bottoms of the recesses were in irregular planes, and thefirst upward movements of the jacks were in one plane, and then theywere suddenly thrown into another plane by contact with a shoulder. Idisclaim any such invention, as not only the thread or yarn, but theneedles also, were liable to be broken, and from the resistance by theshoulder greater driving-power was required, and such machines wereincapable of great speed in operatiou and di'l'iicult to keep in order.

I am also aware that prior to my invention straight-knitting machineswere described in patents where the needle-bed had a slot in whichneedle-shifters were placed, each of which carried a loose needle uponits upper surface, arranged so that alternate needleshifters could betilted bya cam upon a shaft, and by such shifting permit the needles tobe reciprocated, so as to assume two parallel series. I disclaim anysuch invention, as the shaft and cam and tilting needleshifter areinapplicable to a circular machine.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein is l.The combination, with the needle-cylin' der provided with two series ofneedle-recesses, O O, the former, 0, having bottoms uniformly parallelwith the aXis of the cylinder, and the latter, 0, having bottomsuniformly inclined at an angle therewith, of the needles i i, providedwith the jacks P P, and

mechanism for reciprocating the same, where by in the operation of themachine the needles are separated in two concentric series, to permit athread or yarn to be laid between them, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the needlecylinder provided with two series ofneedle're cesses, O O, the former, 0, having bot-toms uniformly parallelwith the axis of the cylinder, and the latter, 0, having bottomsuniformly inclined at an angle therewith, of the needles ii, providedwith the jacks 1? P and mechanism for reciprocating the same, and thetubular guides R B, adjustable vertically and circumferentially on saidcylinder, sub stantially as described.

3. The combination, with the cam-cylinder,

of the presser-wheels Q Q Q, the tubular guides R It, theneedle-cylinder provid ed with two series of needle-recesses, O O, theformer having bottoms'uniformly parallel with the axis of theneedle-cylinder, and the latter having bottoms uniformlyinclined at anangle therewith, the needles i i, provided with the jacks P I andmechanism for reciprocating the same, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with the ring E, of the slotted standard a, theadjustable supportpieces F, the rings J and L, provided with flanges Jand L, and the ring M, arranged substantially as and for the purposesdescribed.

5. The combination, with the ring E, of the slotted standard a, theadjustable support-' pieces F, the removablerings J and L, havingflanges J and L, the needle-cylinder having inclined and verticalrecesses, the needlejacks having toes h and needles and ii, and meansfor rotating the needle-cylinder, arranged substantially as and for thepurposes described.

6. The combination, with the ring E, of the socket S, body S, meanswhereby it may be adjusted vertically, lever T, provided with weight Zand plate 0, standard U, provided with perforated guide-pieces p p andcross bar q, and the rods 1" r, arranged in the perforations of saidguide-pieces, and provided with eyes 1- r and toes r r, substantially asand for the purposes described.

7. The combination, with the ring E, of the socket S and body S, meanswhereby it may be adjusted vertically, lever T, provided with weight Zand plate 0, standard U, provided with perforated guide-pieces p p andcrossbar (1, the rods r1, arranged in the perforations of saidguide-pieces, and provided with eyes r r and toes r r, and the rack c,as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FAYETTE HARDENBERGH.

\Vitnesses: 1

ROBERT J ACKSON,

D. R. STANFORD.

